So the Wings did what they’ve struggled to do all year–their opponent was down and they put skate to neck to finish ’em off. Poor Shane Doan, another year, another first round loss. The second round probably sounds more unattainable to him than Megan Fox is to me.

This game was suspenseful in the way that a good action movie is suspenseful — you are riveted, and you don’t know exactly what happen, but you are pretty sure who will ultimately win. At the start of the night, the Wings led the Coyotes, three games to none, in the seven-game series. The question seemed to be when, not if, the Wings would move on to the second round.

This gives up plently of time to rest up for next series, where the Wings will be not only rested, but also reloaded:

They will have more than a week off. Wings coach Mike Babcock said of Franzen (ankle) and Zetterberg: “Oh, they’ll be ready to go.” Then he said: “Obviously we’re a way better team if we’ve got Mule and Z.”

The rest of the league should consider itself warned.

Damn right they should.

Three Stars of the Series

1. Pavel Datsyuk – Is there any question? He was so far ahead of anyone else on the ice it’s not even funny. Six points in four games and that doesn’t even sum up his effect out there. This was the second most dominate performance I’ve ever seen from a player in a series…only behind Franzen’s dismantling of Colorado (both figuratively and literally) in 2008. Simply stunning.

You’re so money baby and you don’t even know it.

2. Jimmy Howard – Jimmy put up solid stats with a 91.5% save percentage (though Yahoo has it as 92%, strange) and a 2.5 GAA. Yet this doesn’t show the big series changing saves that he had early in the series. When we needed him, Jimmy was there. This is the type of goaltending that Wings need for a chance at the cup.

3. Shane Doan – Yeah, we hate him. I can’t stand his borderline dirty play, whininess, and overexcited faces. Yet I can’t ignore the fact he scored 5 points and was an absolute pain in the ass out there. I can’t stand him, but had he played on our team, I would have been impressed with his effort.

Honorable Mention: Valtteri Filppula & Darren Helm – Val certainly had a great series, even if most of the spotlight were on other players. 5 points in 4 games is great for the man-pretty Finnish center. Just like Franzen, he ups his game in the playoffs. Helm simply dominated, and as Babcock mentioned, is becoming elite.

BTW, keep an eye on Puck Daddy today for a celebrity appearance by NOHS.